Ms. Brand is a certified school psychologist and Ph.D. candidate in Drexel University’s School of Education. She is bilingual in Spanish and specializes in evaluating students who are bilingual and differentiating learning and developmental issues from language-learning issues. Her other area of specialty is evaluating students with severe behavioral problems such as violent or threatening behaviors and doing risk assessments for those cases.

“To have another language is to possess a second soul.”

– Charlemagne

Specialized Training and Experience

Ms. Brand specializes in comprehensive psychoeducational evaluations, with a particular emphasis on bilingual assessment. As a fluent Spanish speaker, she is experienced in differentiating between language-learning needs and learning or developmental concerns, ensuring culturally and linguistically valid observations, consultations, and evaluations. Additionally, her expertise extends to working with students of all backgrounds who present with significant behavioral and socio-emotional challenges, including violent or threatening behaviors, for which she conducts specialized risk assessments, observations, interviews, and consultations.

Ms. Brand’s clinical training has provided her with a strong background in a wide range of cognitive, academic, socio-emotional, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and autism assessments for both English- and Spanish-speaking students. She believes that effective evaluations and interventions must meaningfully involve both families and educators to ensure lasting success. This collaborative approach allows her to provide practical, culturally responsive, and student-centered recommendations that can be implemented across home and school settings.

Ms. Brand is also committed to training future school psychologists. She serves as an instructor and graduate assistant in the School Psychology Program at Drexel University, where she develops and teaches courses on English Learners  Evaluations and Special Education Law, and supervises practicum students. In addition to her clinical and instructional work, Ms. Brand is actively engaged in research on school violence and prevention. Her doctoral research focuses on student school shooters, exploring the motives, at-risk behaviors, and socio-contextual factors that contribute to school-based violence. Through this work, she aims to support early identification and develop evidence-based interventions that foster safer school environments. She has presented at national and international conferences and is preparing multiple peer-reviewed publications.

Education & Credentials:

  • Certified School Psychologist, 2025
  • Ph.D. Candidate, School of Education, Drexel University
  • Education Specialist (Ed.S.), School Psychology, Drexel University
  • B.A. in Cell Biology & Neuroscience, Rutgers University
  • Minor in Psychology, Rutgers University
  • Bilingual (English/Spanish) – specializing in bilingual psychoeducational assessment